Concentric barbed suture

Abstract

A barbed suture and a method of forming a barbed suture are disclosed. The barbed suture includes a core fiber and a sheet, which can be monolithic or formed from a plurality of longitudinally extending fibers, which is placed around the core fiber.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A barbed suture comprising:
 a core fiber defining an outer perimeter, a length, and a longitudinal axis; and 
 a sheet positioned around the outer perimeter of the core fiber, the sheet including a plurality of longitudinally extending fibers aligned concentrically around the core fiber along the length of the core fiber and a plurality of slots, each slot separating a first portion of an individual fiber of the plurality of longitudinally extending fibers from a second portion of the individual fiber, wherein the first portion of the individual fiber is separate from the second portion of the individual fiber and the first portion is bent relative to the longitudinal axis to form a barb extending outwardly from the sheet in a first direction of less than 90 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis. 
 
     
     
       2. The barbed suture of  claim 1 , wherein the core fiber is a monofilament fiber. 
     
     
       3. The barbed suture of  claim 1 , wherein the core fiber is a multifilament fiber. 
     
     
       4. The barbed suture of  claim 1 , wherein the sheet further comprises a second plurality of barbs extending outwardly from the sheet in a second direction that is less than 90 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       5. The barbed suture of  claim 1 , wherein the sheet comprises a width equal to the outer perimeter of the core fiber. 
     
     
       6. The barbed suture of  claim 1 , wherein the barbed suture is a multidirectional barbed suture. 
     
     
       7. The barbed suture of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of longitudinally extending fibers are bonded to the core fiber at spaced intervals along the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       8. The barbed suture of  claim 1 , wherein each of the individual longitudinally extending fibers defines a first diameter and the core fiber defines a second diameter, the first diameter having a value about 20% that of the second diameter. 
     
     
       9. The barbed suture of  claim 1 , wherein the sheet is bonded to the core fiber at a length away from the plurality of slots. 
     
     
       10. The barbed suture of  claim 1 , wherein the core fiber is not cut by the formation of the barb. 
     
     
       11. The barbed suture of  claim 1 , wherein the suture further comprises a first zone having a first diameter and including at least one slot of the plurality of slots and a second zone including the second portion of the individual fiber, the second zone having a second diameter smaller than the first zone. 
     
     
       12. The barbed suture of  claim 11  wherein the second zone is bonded to the core fiber. 
     
     
       13. The barbed suture of  claim 12  wherein the first zone is not bonded to the core fiber. 
     
     
       14. The barbed suture of  claim 13  wherein the second zone is a weld zone wherein the second zone is welded to the core fiber. 
     
     
       15. A barbed suture comprising:
 a multifilament core defining a length and a longitudinal axis, 
 a sheet wrapped around the multifilament core, the sheet including a plurality of longitudinally extending fibers aligned concentrically around the core fiber along the length of the core fiber and a plurality of slots, each slot separating a first portion of an individual fiber of the plurality of longitudinally extending fibers from a second portion of the individual fiber, wherein the first portion of the individual fiber is separate from the second portion of the individual fiber and the first portion is bent relative to the longitudinal axis to form a barb extending outwardly from the sheet in a first direction of less than 90 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis. 
 
     
     
       16. The barbed suture of  claim 15 , wherein the multifilament core is selected from the group consisting of twisted, braided, comingled, and intertwined filaments. 
     
     
       17. The barbed suture of  claim 15 , wherein the sheet further comprises a second plurality of barbs extending outwardly from the sheet in a second direction that is less than 90 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       18. The barbed suture of  claim 15 , wherein the plurality of longitudinally extending fibers are bonded to the core fiber at spaced intervals along the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       19. The barbed suture of  claim 15 , wherein each of the individual longitudinally extending fibers defines a first diameter and the core fiber defines a second diameter, the first diameter having a value about 20% that of the second diameter. 
     
     
       20. The barbed suture of  claim 15 , wherein the sheet is bonded to the core fiber at a length away from the plurality of slots.